The Longevity Family: Starting from the Foundation Establishment Ancestor

Han Mu led Han Li and quickly headed towards the direction from which the fighting was coming. After passing through several corridors, they arrived at a spacious underground plaza.

In the center of the square, Zhou Tian and five others were engaged in a fierce battle with a group of stone golems. These golems were about three zhang tall, entirely gray-white, and their movements were somewhat stiff, but they possessed immense strength, each strike causing the ground to tremble. To make matters worse, there were more than twenty stone golems, completely surrounding Zhou Tian and his companions.

"Each of these puppets possesses the strength of a late-stage True Immortal," Han Li said in a low voice, his pupils shrinking.

Han Mu glanced at them and immediately saw the clues: "They are puppets crafted using ancient mechanical techniques. Their core should be a 'Puppet Heart,' and breaking the core will stop them. However, these puppets have extremely strong defenses; breaking the core would require at least the attack power of a peak True Immortal."

"Senior, shall we make a move?" Han Li asked. He was still recovering from his injuries and could only exert the strength of an early True Immortal, barely enough to deal with a puppet.

"No rush," Han Mu shook his head. "Let's take a look first."

On the other side of the plaza, there were three more stone gates. The gates were tightly closed, but a faint, precious light emanated from them. Zhou Tian and the others clearly intended to break through the puppet's blockade and enter through the stone gates.

"Damn it, why can't I break these puppets!" A late-stage True Immortal cultivator roared as one of his magic weapons struck a puppet's chest, leaving only a faint white mark.

"Attack their joints!" Zhou Tian shouted, thrusting his sword towards the puppet's knee joint.

"clang!"

Sparks flew, and a crack appeared on the puppet's knee, but it didn't break. The puppet threw a backhand punch, which the late-stage True Immortal cultivator hurriedly dodged, narrowly avoiding it.

"This won't do; our immortal energy is being depleted too much," another person said anxiously.

Zhou Tian's face was grim. The six of them—four late-stage True Immortals and two peak True Immortals—were facing over twenty late-stage True Immortal puppets. While they could temporarily hold their own, their immortal power was being depleted extremely quickly. Once their immortal power was exhausted, they would face certain death.

"Gentlemen, concentrate your attack on one!" Zhou Tian gritted his teeth and said, "Destroy one first to create an opening!"

The six of them joined forces and attacked one of the puppets. Various magical artifacts and spells bombarded the puppet, finally shattering it. But at that moment, another unexpected event occurred.

"Click click click—"

The plaza trembled, and ten more puppets rose from the ground. Moreover, these ten puppets possessed an even stronger aura, having clearly reached the peak of True Immortal status!

"What?!" Zhou Tian and the others turned pale. The twenty-odd late-stage True Immortal puppets were already overwhelming; adding ten more peak True Immortal puppets meant certain death!

"It's over..." a late-stage True Immortal cultivator said in despair.

"Senior..." Han Li looked at Han Mu. With his keen eyesight, he could naturally see that Zhou Tian and the others couldn't hold on any longer.

Han Mu frowned slightly. He didn't care about the lives of Zhou Tian and the others, but if they died, the three centurions of the Heavenly Net Guard outside would definitely become suspicious. Moreover, he was also interested in the treasure behind the stone door.

"Wait here and don't come out," Han Mu instructed, then his figure flashed and he appeared in the square.

"Who?!" Zhou Tian exclaimed in surprise, but upon seeing it was Han Mu, he immediately breathed a sigh of relief. "Fellow Daoist Han, please help!"

Without a word, Han Mu raised his hand and pointed. Sword energy surged from his fingertip, transforming into a white sword light that instantly pierced the chest of a True Immortal Peak puppet.

"Snap!"

The core in the puppet's chest shattered, and the puppet collapsed to the ground with a thud.

"What?!" Zhou Tian and the others were dumbfounded. One strike, just one strike, and a peak True Immortal puppet was destroyed? Han Mu's strength was probably more than just a late-stage True Immortal!

Han Mu moved without stopping, his figure weaving through the horde of puppets. With each strike, a puppet fell. In just a few breaths, three of the ten peak True Immortal puppets had fallen.

"So powerful!" Zhou Tian was shocked. He originally thought Han Mu was just an ordinary late-stage True Immortal, but now it seemed that he was at least a peak True Immortal, or even a Golden Immortal! But how could a Golden Immortal disguise himself as a peak Mahayana cultivator? It must be some kind of secret technique.

With Han Mu's arrival, the battle situation instantly turned around. In less than a quarter of an hour, all the puppets were destroyed. Han Mu alone destroyed eight peak True Immortal puppets and five late True Immortal puppets; the rest were destroyed by Zhou Tian and the others working together.

"Thank you for your help, Fellow Daoist Han!" Zhou Tian and the others quickly expressed their gratitude, their attitude becoming much more respectful. In the cultivation world, strength is paramount, and Han Mu's displayed power had already earned their respect.

"It's alright," Han Mu said calmly, his gaze falling on the three stone gates. "How should these three gates be allocated?"

Zhou Tian and the others exchanged glances. Logically, Han Mu had contributed the most and should have received a larger share. However, the allure of the treasure was irresistible, and none of them wanted to give it up.

"Fellow Daoist Han is the strongest, so he can choose one path first," Zhou Tian said. "The remaining two paths can be divided among the six of us, how about that?"

"Alright." Han Mu nodded and walked straight towards the middle stone door. He sensed that the precious light behind the middle stone door was the strongest.

Han Li also emerged from the shadows, following behind Han Mu. Zhou Tian and the others glanced at Han Li but said nothing. They naturally dared not object to the people Han Mu had brought.

Han Mu pushed open the stone door, revealing a stone chamber inside. The chamber was small, only about ten zhang square, with a stone platform in the center. On the platform sat a jade box. The jade box emitted a faint blue light, clearly indicating it was no ordinary object.

"Be careful, there might be a restriction." Han Li warned.

Han Mu nodded, scanning the stone chamber with his divine sense, and indeed discovered array fluctuations around the stone platform. However, this array was not strong; it was just an ordinary protective array.

Han Mu flicked his finger, unleashing a sword aura that struck a node in the formation, shattering it with a "crack." He walked to the stone platform and opened the jade box.

Inside the jade box was a jade slip and a small bottle. Han Mu picked up the jade slip and probed it with his divine sense.

"A fragment of the 'Golden Jade Book,' a Golden Immortal-level cultivation technique, recording the methods of Golden Immortal cultivation..." Han Mu's heart stirred. This was exactly the cultivation technique he needed. Although it was only a fragment, it was enough for him to cultivate to the late stage of the Golden Immortal realm.

Looking at the small bottle again, there were three pills inside, emitting a rich medicinal fragrance. They should be elixirs to enhance cultivation.

"A good harvest." Han Mu put away the jade slip and pills with satisfaction and walked out of the stone chamber.

Zhou Tian and the others each chose a stone gate and were breaking the seal. Han Mu ignored them and led Han Li deeper into the plaza. At the end of the plaza, there was another passage, its destination unknown.

"Senior, shouldn't we wait for them?" Han Li asked.

"No need," Han Mu said. "Once they break the barrier, they'll follow. Let's scout ahead first."

The two entered the passage. The passage was long and descended deeper and deeper, seemingly leading to the depths of the earth. After walking for about half an hour, light appeared ahead.

Stepping out of the passage, a vast underground palace suddenly opened up before me. In the center of the palace stood a high platform, upon which floated a fist-sized bead, which was iridescent in color and emitted a mesmerizing glow.

"This is... a seven-colored glass bead?" Han Li exclaimed in surprise. "Legend has it that this bead is an ancient celestial treasure, capable of helping people comprehend the laws of heaven and earth!"

A look of surprise flashed in Han Mu's eyes. He had seen the Seven-Colored Glazed Bead in the system data; it was indeed an ancient celestial treasure that could enhance a cultivator's understanding of the laws of heaven and earth. This treasure was even of great use to Golden Immortals.

"Buzz—"

Just then, array lights illuminated the area around the platform. Then, four figures emerged from the void. These four figures were humanoid, but their bodies were entirely golden, and their auras were as vast as the sea.

"Golden Immortal level puppets!" Han Mu's pupils shrank. Each of these four puppets possessed the strength of an early-stage Golden Immortal! Moreover, judging from their standing positions, they seemed to have formed a combined attack formation.

"Those who trespass on this forbidden area shall die!" The leading golden puppet uttered a cold voice and raised its hand to strike.

The palm strike sent gusts of wind through the air, causing ripples in the very space. This single strike was enough to annihilate a peak True Immortal!

Han Li's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly retreated. But Han Mu stood still, motionless.

"Be careful, senior!" Han Li exclaimed.

Han Mu raised his hand and struck out with a palm strike as well. The two palms collided, producing a deafening roar. Han Mu took three steps back, and the golden puppet also took one step back.

"Blocked it?" Han Li's eyes widened. An attack from a Golden Immortal early-stage puppet was actually blocked by "Senior White"? Could "Senior White" also be a Golden Immortal?

"Interesting." Han Mu shook his numb arm. He had just used thirty percent of his strength; on the surface, he was a late-stage True Immortal, but in reality, he had reached the early-stage Golden Immortal level. But a puppet is still a puppet; it has no intelligence and relies solely on brute force. Its true combat strength is inferior to that of cultivators of the same level.

"Attack together, and finish this quickly," Han Mu said to Han Li, while simultaneously transmitting his voice to him, "I'll hold off three, you hold off one, just engage in close combat, don't fight head-on."

"Yes!" Han Li gritted his teeth and summoned the Azure Bamboo Bee Cloud Sword. Facing a Golden Immortal-level puppet, he dared not hold back in the slightest.

Han Mu flashed forward, launching an attack on the three puppets. A white longsword appeared in his hand—the "White Feather Sword," which he had condensed using his immortal power. The sword light, as white as snow, instantly enveloped the three puppets.

"Jingle bells—"

The puppets were extremely strong defensively, and Han Mu's sword energy could only leave shallow sword marks on them. However, Han Mu's swordsmanship was exquisite, and each strike aimed at the puppets' vital joints, hindering their movement.

On the other side, Han Li was facing a puppet and was completely at a disadvantage. Every punch from the puppet made his blood surge, and he could only dodge constantly. Occasionally he could launch a counterattack with his sword, but he couldn't even break through the puppet's defense.

"The gap is too big," Han Li thought with a bitter smile. A True Immortal in the early stage versus a Golden Immortal in the early stage—there's simply no way to win. The only reason he's been able to hold on this long is because the puppet's intelligence is low, and its attacks are straightforward.

"System, check the weaknesses of these four puppets." Han Mu communicated with the system while fighting.

[Testing in progress...]

[Target: Golden Armor Puppet (Early Golden Immortal Stage)]

[Weakness: There is a formation node at the core of its chest; destroying the node will paralyze it.]

[Recommendation: Use 'Formation-Breaking Sword Qi' to attack]

"Formation-Breaking Sword Qi?" Han Mu's thoughts stirred, and his swordsmanship instantly changed. The originally graceful and agile swordsmanship became extremely sharp, with each strike aimed directly at the puppet's chest.

"Sizzle—"

A puppet's chest was pierced by the sword energy, and its movements froze instantly. Han Mu seized the opportunity and struck the same spot three times in succession.

"Snap!"

The puppet's chest split open, revealing a golden crystal. Han Mu thrust his sword forward, and the golden crystal shattered instantly.

"boom!"

The puppet collapsed to the ground, losing its ability to move.

"It works!" Han Mu's spirits lifted, and he used the same method to attack the second puppet. With experience, he was even faster, and in less than ten moves, the second puppet fell.

The remaining two puppets seemed to sense the danger and stopped attacking Han Li, instead joining forces to attack Han Mu.

"Well done!" Han Mu was not surprised but delighted. His sword light was like a waterfall, enveloping both puppets at the same time. His swordsmanship became faster and faster, and each sword strike accurately hit the key point in the puppet's chest.

"Snap! Snap!"

Two more puppets fell. From the start to the end of the battle, it took no more than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

Han Li was dumbfounded. Four early-stage Golden Immortal puppets were dealt with by "Senior White" just like that? This "Senior White's" strength is probably more than just early-stage Golden Immortal, right?

Han Mu sheathed his sword, his face slightly pale and his breathing somewhat disordered. This was a pretense; after all, he was only a "late-stage True Immortal" on the surface, and it would be too astonishing if he easily dealt with four Golden Immortal puppets.

"Senior, are you alright?" Han Li asked with concern.

"It's alright, it just took a lot of energy." Han Mu waved his hand and walked towards the high platform. The seven-colored glass bead on the platform floated quietly, emitting an alluring light.

"Seven-colored glass bead..." Han Mu reached out to grab the bead. However, the moment he touched the bead, another change occurred.

The entire palace trembled violently, and a crack appeared beneath the high platform, from which a beam of golden light shot into the sky. Within the golden light, an even larger puppet slowly rose.

This puppet was ten zhang tall, with a dark gold body, holding a giant axe, and its aura was as vast as the sea, clearly reaching the peak of the Golden Immortal realm!

"Anyone who trespasses on forbidden grounds and steals treasures shall be killed without mercy!" The puppet roared, its giant axe cleaving down, tearing through space with its axe light, aimed directly at Han Mu.

Han Mu's expression changed slightly. A Golden Immortal peak puppet—this was no joke. His current true cultivation level was True Immortal peak. Although he could fight an early-stage Golden Immortal, or even kill a mid-stage Golden Immortal, with his cultivation techniques and experience, his chances of winning against a Golden Immortal peak were less than 30%.

"Han Li, step back!" Han Mu shouted, simultaneously unleashing his full cultivation power. Since he could no longer pretend, he would fight with all his might. Perfect, he also wanted to test the gap between himself and a peak Golden Immortal.

The white longsword reappeared, its blade gleaming with a faint golden light. Han Mu's aura surged, rising rapidly from the late True Immortal stage to the early Golden Immortal stage in the blink of an eye, and it continued to climb.

Mid-stage Golden Immortal! Late-stage Golden Immortal!

Ultimately, Han Mu's aura remained at the peak of the late Golden Immortal stage, just one step away from the peak of the Golden Immortal stage.

"What?!" Han Li was completely stunned. It turned out that "Senior Bai" was not an early-stage Golden Immortal, but a late-stage Golden Immortal! No wonder he could easily deal with four early-stage Golden Immortal puppets.

"Slash!" Han Mu slashed out with his sword, the sword light colliding with the axe light.

"Boom—"

The entire palace trembled, and the shockwave sent Han Li flying. Han Mu staggered back seven steps, a trickle of blood escaping from the corner of his mouth. A peak Golden Immortal puppet was indeed powerful.

"System, analyze the puppet's weaknesses," Han Mu thought to himself.

[Testing in progress...]

[Target: Golden Armored Divine General Puppet (Peak Golden Immortal)]

[Weakness: There is a crack between its eyebrows, a damage left from an ancient war. Attacking this spot can severely damage its core.]

[Recommendation: Use the "Godslayer Sword Qi" to attack the crack between the eyebrows]

"God-Slaying Sword Qi?" Han Mu's eyes narrowed. That was one of his killing moves, extremely powerful, but also very energy-consuming. However, now that things had come to this, he had no other choice.

"Again!" Han Mu took a deep breath, pointed his sword at his brow, and poured all his immortal power into the sword.

"God-Slaying Sword Qi, Slash!"

A crimson sword aura shot into the sky and instantly struck the crack between the puppet's eyebrows.

"Click—"

The cracks widened, the puppet froze, and the light in its eyes quickly dimmed.

"Effective!" Han Mu pressed his advantage, unleashing three more God-Slaying Sword Qi.

"Boom!"

The golden-armored divine general puppet crashed to the ground, turning into a pile of fragments. A fist-sized golden crystal rolled out, radiating immense energy.

"This is... a Golden Immortal-level puppet core!" Han Mu's eyes lit up. This was a valuable item that could be used to refine puppets or absorb their energy for cultivation.

Han Mu put away the golden crystal and the seven-colored glass bead, then turned to look at Han Li.

Han Li had already stood up, but his face was pale, clearly injured by the shockwave. He looked at Han Mu with a complex expression, a mixture of shock, awe, and gratitude.

"Senior, you..." Han Li hesitated, unable to finish his sentence.

"Don't spread my affairs outside," Han Mu said calmly. "In front of outsiders, I am still a late-stage True Immortal."

"Yes, I understand," Han Li replied solemnly. A powerful being in the late Golden Immortal stage would disguise himself as a late True Immortal and infiltrate the desolate battlefield; he must have a scheme. He naturally dared not ask further.

"System, check the results."

[Obtained: Fragment of the Golden Jade Book (Golden Immortal-level cultivation technique)]

[Obtained: Seven-Colored Glazed Beads (Ancient Immortal Treasure)]

[Obtained: Golden Immortal-level Puppet Core ×1]

[Received: Immortal Essence Pill x3 (can increase True Immortal cultivation level)]

[Immortal Aura +5000 strands]

[Current Celestial Aura: 6127/10000]

"Excellent, a fruitful expedition." Han Mu nodded in satisfaction, especially since his immortal spiritual energy had increased by five thousand strands, bringing him close to his goal of ten thousand strands.

"Let's go, we shouldn't stay here any longer," Han Mu said. The commotion from the fight just now was too great and would definitely attract other people.

Just as the two were about to leave, Zhou Tian and the others rushed over. Seeing the puppet fragments scattered on the ground and the empty platform, Zhou Tian and the others' expressions changed.

"Fellow Daoist Han, here..." Zhou Tian asked tentatively.

"We encountered a Golden Immortal puppet and managed to kill it by sheer luck," Han Mu said casually. "We've taken the treasure; we should leave now. The three Heavenly Net Guard centurions outside are still fighting the Three-Eyed Demon Rhinoceros. Let's go take a look."

"Yes." Zhou Tian and the others dared not ask any further questions. Being able to kill a Golden Immortal puppet, this Fellow Daoist Han's strength was probably even more terrifying than they had imagined.

The group retraced their steps and soon arrived at the entrance of the ancient hall. As soon as they exited, they saw that the battle between Luo Feng and his companions and the Three-Eyed Demonic Rhino had reached its climax. The three were covered in blood, clearly seriously injured. The Three-Eyed Demonic Rhino was also in bad shape, bearing multiple wounds, but its ferocity remained undiminished.

"Han Mu, you're out? Quick, help me!" Luo Feng exclaimed with delight upon seeing Han Mu.

Han Mu nodded and said to Han Li, "Wait here and don't come out." After saying that, he flew into the battle.

"Another one coming to die!" The three-eyed demon rhinoceros spoke in human language and stomped a hoof toward Han Mu.

Han Mu neither dodged nor evaded, but instead unleashed a sword strike.

"Sizzle—"

The sword energy struck the demonic rhinoceros's hoof, leaving a deep, bloody gash. The rhinoceros, in pain, roared repeatedly.

"Such powerful sword energy!" Luo Feng and the other two's eyes lit up. Han Mu's strength was far greater than they had imagined.

The four of them worked together and finally managed to subdue the three-eyed demonic rhinoceros. Half an hour later, the three-eyed demonic rhinoceros, covered in wounds, turned and tried to escape.

"Trying to leave? Too late!" A cold glint flashed in Han Mu's eyes as he unleashed a full-force sword strike.

"God-Slaying Sword Qi!"

A crimson sword aura pierced through the head of the demonic rhinoceros, and the massive body of the rhinoceros crashed to the ground, kicking up clouds of dust.

Luo Feng and his companions breathed a sigh of relief, their eyes filled with shock as they looked at Han Mu. That sword strike just now was definitely at the mid-stage of the Golden Immortal realm! Just who is this Han Mu?

"Fellow Daoist Han, thank you very much." Luo Feng cupped his hands and said, "The completion of this mission is all thanks to Fellow Daoist Han."

"It's my duty," Han Mu said calmly.

"Mission accomplished, we'll return to Ironblood Pass now," Luo Feng said. "Fellow Daoist Han, when we get back, you'll receive the promised reward in full."

"Thank you for your trouble." Han Mu nodded.

The group boarded the flying boat and returned to Ironblood Pass. During the journey, Han Mu closed his eyes to meditate, but in reality, he was checking the system panel.

"System, check your current cultivation level."

[Host: Han Mu]

[True Cultivation Level: Peak True Immortal (99.9%)]

[Surface Cultivation Level: Peak Mahayana Stage]

[Cultivation Techniques: Primordial Longevity Technique (True Immortal Chapter Completed), Golden Jade Book Fragment (Uncultivated)]

[Celestial Aura: 6127/10000]

[Divine Abilities: God-Slaying Sword Qi, Formation-Breaking Sword Qi, Five Elements Escape Technique, Heaven-Gathering Divine Art]

"I've reached the peak of True Immortal, just one step away from breaking through to Golden Immortal," Han Mu thought to himself. "Once I return and cultivate the Golden Jade Book, I should be able to break through."

He looked at Han Li. Han Li was meditating to heal his injuries, and his breathing had become much more stable.

"Han Li, Han Li, in this life, with me by your side, your path will be much easier." Han Mu smiled slightly and closed his eyes to rest.

The flying boat sliced ​​through the sky, heading towards Ironblood Pass. Unbeknownst to Han Mu, shortly after their departure, a dark figure slowly emerged from the depths of the ancient hall.

"The Golden Jade Book has been taken... The plan can begin." The shadowy figure murmured to himself before vanishing into thin air.